All Senior Six vacists to undergo patriotism training at NALI

What the report says

Uganda’s National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps says all Senior Six vacists will be sent to the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi for patriotism training under a revived government programme. The announcement was made by NSPC commissioner Hellen Seku at Immaculate Heart Girls’ Secondary School Nyakibale in Rukungiri District, where more than 1,700 students from four schools had just finished a week-long training exercise. Seku said the plan is to start this year and would keep vacists at Kyankwanzi for about six months.

According to Watchdog Uganda, the programme is intended to promote discipline, national identity, responsibility and patriotism among young people. Seku also said the training will be extended to teachers, head teachers, patrons and coordinators who have not already participated, as well as to students in higher institutions and young people in the informal sector. The article notes that the government links this push to broader civic and ideological education, citing Constitution-based obligations and the need for national direction.

The training at Nyakibale included ideology sessions, drills, parades and lessons on topics such as security, history, environmental protection, entrepreneurship and integrity. Students said the programme helped them build discipline, friendship and resilience, while school leaders welcomed it as a way to prepare learners for responsible citizenship and life after school. The report also says UPDF officers and NSPC coordinators helped facilitate the sessions.